The New Rules of Nine-to-Five - 13 Ways to Get a Flexible Work Schedule

Let's be honest -- the nine-to-five workday isn't for everyone. Nor is being chained to a desk seven days a week or having only two weeks of vacation.<br /><br />Imagine leaving your cubicle at any time of the day and working outside via a wireless campus your company has set up. If you worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, you could. If Utah-based Arup Laboratories were your employer, you'd work seven days on, seven days off -- and still be considered full-time. Ever have days where you can't seem to break away for lunch? NRG::Seattle forces you to. Every day around noon, the insurance company goes dark so that everyone must take an hour break for lunch. The goal: come back feeling recharged.<br /><br />"In the past, an employee who wanted to work in a different way might have made a personal deal with his or her boss under the table," says Ellen Galinsky, president and co-founder of the Families and Work Institute. "Today employees and employers are working together to find new ways to restructure the workplace in unique ways to give people the flexibility they need to improve bottom line business measures like productivity and retention at the same time."<br /><br />Why workplace flexibility?<br /><br />"Making Work Work: New Ideas from the Winners of the Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility," a new report from the FWI, compiles case studies of various employers who've recognized that a traditional nine-to-five workplace isn't always the best option. FWI research shows employees who work in flexible workplaces are more likely to:<br /><br />Be engaged in their jobs and committed to helping their organizations succeed.<br /><br />Plan on staying with their employer.<br /><br />Be satisfied with their jobs.<br /><br />Exhibit better mental health.<br /><br />Studies have shown that time away from work refuels employees' productivity. The bottom line: Flexibility must work for both the employer and employee.<br /><br />Culture of flexibility<br /><br />Companies of different sizes, objectives and atmospheres share one common ground: Flexibility is their foundation. At NRG::Seattle, a 14-person insurance company, owner Michelle Rupp insists that everyone work at home one day each week. All staff members take a three-hour break one Friday afternoon each month for personal appointments and obligations. Additionally, employees get an extra month's vacation every five years.<br /><br />"If they put those weeks together with their regular vacation, they have two consecutive months off," Rupp says in the report. "It's a little sabbatical. It may mean extra work for colleagues, but everyone knows their time will come."<br /><br />Flexible scheduling allows employees to communicate with clients in different time zones or maybe even a different country. Kathy Bailey, owner of Washington, D.C.-based Bailey Law Group, is indifferent to where her people work or how they schedule hours. She trusts her staff members to work when they need to work. "Our hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., but no one looks askance if someone comes in at 10 a.m.," Bailey says in the report. "People just communicate with each other to schedule meetings at convenient times, or we e-mail each other back and forth."<br /><br />And here's a bonus: It can be good for the environment. Time off (or at least time out of the office) puts fewer gas fumes in the air -- a mission of the EPA at Research Triangle Park.<br /><br />"At the EPA we have a higher cause: to promote the health of the planet and the people who live on it," Chris Long, director of sustainable development, explains in the report. "We know we can't expect huge salaries, so that makes it even more important to have flexibility." EPA members in Durham start with two and a half weeks of vacation and can build up to more than five weeks per year. Employees accumulate 13 sick days, which can roll over or be used for personal reasons.<br /><br />Make it happen for you<br /><br />There are endless options when it comes to workplace flexibility: reduced time, mandatory breaks, longer vacations, etc. If you think a little flextime could do you some good, use these tips from the FWI report on how to make a winning bid for workplace flexibility.<br /><br />Figure out what you need.<br /><br />Scope out your own working style.<br /><br />Identify the equipment you'll need.<br /><br />Understand your employer's policies.<br /><br />Evaluate the impact on your career.<br /><br />Think about the effect on customers and colleagues.<br /><br />Have a plan for staying in touch.<br /><br />Have a plan for dealing with emergencies.<br /><br />Create a business case for flexibility.<br /><br />Understand your supervisor's experiences with flexibility.<br /><br />Play to your supervisor's style.<br /><br />Be flexible about working flexibility.<br /><br />Suggest a trial period.<br /><br />By Rachel Zupek writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a>

The New Rules of Nine-to-Five - 13 Ways to Get a Flexible Work Schedule

Let's be honest -- the nine-to-five workday isn't for everyone. Nor is being chained to a desk seven days a week or having only two ...

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Nine Ways to Win at Office Politics

Politics in the workplace can get vicious – and we’re not talking about the governmental kind. Rather, office politics, or how power and influence are managed in your company, will be a part of your career whether you choose to participate in them or not.<br /><br />Some workers say they don’t want to get caught up in politics at work, but most experts argue that playing the game is crucial to your career success. By not getting involved, you may find your talents ignored and your success limited, and you may feel left out of the loop, says Louellen Essex, co-author of “Manager’s Desktop Consultant: Just-in-Time Solutions to the Top People Problems That Keep You Up at Night.”<br /><br />“Politics get nasty when an employee is out for his or her personal gain alone,” Essex says. “Think of playing office politics as a game of strategy through which you are able to get the resources and influence you need to accomplish your goals. Most often those who are diplomatic, respectful and build coalitions with effective people win.”<br /><br />Here are Essex’s nine tips to help you win at office politics and still gain others' respect.<br /><br />1. Observe how things get done in your organization.<br />Ask some key questions: What are the core values and how are they enacted? Are short- or long-term results most valued? How are decisions made? How much risk is tolerated? The answers to these questions should give you a good sense of the culture of your organization.<br /><br />2. Profile powerful individuals.<br />Pay attention to their communication style, network of relationships and what types of proposals they say “yes” to most often. Emulate those traits by drawing on the strengths you have.<br /><br />3. Determine strategic initiatives in the company.<br />Update your skills to be relevant to company initiatives. For example, don’t lag behind in technology, quality or customer service approaches that are crucial to you and your company’s success.<br /><br />4. Develop a personal track record as someone who gets results.<br />Style without substance will not gain others’ respect, especially in today’s organizations that focus on outcome.<br /><br />5. Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn.<br />If no one knows of your good work, you may lose at the game of office politics – when you really deserve to win. Let others know what you’ve accomplished whenever you get the opportunity. If you don’t know the fine art of diplomatic bragging, you might get lost in the shuffle of your co-workers.<br /><br />6. Treat everyone with respect.<br />Don’t show preferential treatment or treat co-workers badly. You never know to whom someone might be connected, and rude behavior may come back to bite you.<br /><br />7. Don’t align too strongly with one group.<br />While an alliance may be powerful for the moment, new leadership will often oust existing coalitions and surround themselves with a new team. Bridging across factions may be a more effective strategy for long-term success if you intend to stay in your current organization for some time.<br /><br />8. Learn to communicate persuasively.<br />Develop an assertive style, backed with solid facts and examples, to focus others’ attention on your ideas and proposals. Good politicians can adjust their messages for their audience ands are always well-prepared.<br /><br />9. Be true to yourself.<br />After analyzing the political landscape in your company, if you decide the game is one you can’t play, prepare to move on. It’s not typical, but some organizations actually condone – even promote – dishonest, ruthless or unethical behavior. The game of office politics in this situation is not one worth winning.<br /><br />By Rachel Zupek writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a>

Nine Ways to Win at Office Politics

Politics in the workplace can get vicious – and we’re not talking about the governmental kind. Rather, office politics, or how power and inf...

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Get Your Boss to Say Yes to Telecommuting

As employees and businesses increasingly recognize the benefits of telecommuting, the number of professionals working remotely has grown dramatically. By many indications, the practice seems here to stay. A recent report by technology research firm Gartner Inc. revealed the number of employees worldwide who work from home at least one day a month reached 82.5 million by the end of 2005, double the figure from 2000. Gartner predicts this number will grow to more than 100 million by 2008 as technology continues to advance at a steady clip.<br /><br />A survey conducted by Robert Half International mirrors the forecast: 87 percent of executives polled said there will be increased telecommuting in the coming decade. While the proliferation of high-speed and wireless Internet access has made telecommuting much easier than in the past, many professionals are adopting this work style not only because it's convenient, but also because it allows them greater work-life balance. In addition, rising gas prices and lengthy commutes have made working from home -- or even cafés and satellite centers -- an appealing option.<br /><br />If you'd like to work remotely, you'll need to show how the arrangement is good not only for you but also for the business. If you are uncertain about how to approach your boss, consider the following steps to create a convincing argument:<br /><br />1. Gather the facts.<br />Start by contacting your human resources department or consulting the employee manual to determine whether your company has a telecommuting program already in place. If one exists, you can build your proposal on actual policies. Of course, you may discover rules that prohibit or limit telecommuting. If this is the case, tap your professional network to identify people who have worked remotely and ask them what steps they took to secure the arrangement.<br /><br />2. Consider all angles.<br />Although telecommuting presents many benefits, remember that not everyone performs well outside the office. The best candidates for telecommuting are self-disciplined, feel comfortable setting priorities and deadlines, and are able to work independently with minimal supervision. In addition, some tasks, such as graphic design or research, lend themselves more easily to telecommuting than others. If much of your work requires face-to-face contact or ongoing access to equipment and materials that are situated only at the office, you may want to reconsider this option.<br /><br />3. Prepare a written proposal.<br />If you are convinced telecommuting is right for you, make your case in writing. A written proposal enables your boss to consider your ideas carefully, demonstrates forethought and underscores your commitment to the proposition. It also serves as a crucial tool if your manager must obtain approval from higher-ups. Your document should include:<br /><br />• Employer benefits: How will telecommuting increase your productivity or help the company reduce costs? Remember, there must be something in it for your employer.<br /><br />• Qualifying characteristics: Are you self-motivated and well-organized? Do you have a history of dependability and proven work habits? Describe qualities that will allow you to thrive outside the office and, wherever possible, cite supporting evidence of these characteristics.<br /><br />• Outside evidence: Add punch to your proposal by including applicable articles and studies that cite the benefits of telecommuting, such as increased business performance and productivity. This may be particularly valuable if your company has no telecommuting program in place.<br /><br />• Safety measures: Many firms are concerned that allowing staff to work remotely increases the likelihood that confidential information will be compromised. Ease your employer's fears by including a description of the security measures you have in place at home, such as current anti-virus software and active firewall settings. Your company's information technology department also may be able to provide hardware or software that allows you to access the firm's systems securely from remote locations.<br /><br />4. Consider alternate proposals.<br />If you think your boss will resist the idea of you working from home, consider proposing a trial period. You can even suggest an "out" clause that enables either of you to discontinue or adjust the arrangement before the end of the trial if the situation proves problematic. Convincing your company that you are a good candidate for telecommuting is only half the battle. Once you begin working from home, you have to prove the arrangement continues to benefit both parties. Here are some strategies:<br /><br />• Record on- and off-site responsibilities. Distribute to your team a list that shows which of your job activities will be accomplished at home versus in the office. Include information on how you will ensure key relationships with co-workers are not hurt. This will show your boss that your absence will not affect the progress of group projects.<br />• Make sure you're easily accessible. Let everyone know which days you will be working from home and give them your contact information. Check in frequently and pledge to return phone calls or e-mails within a given period. Assure your boss you can come into the office if you are needed urgently.<br /><br />• Build in accountability measures. Your manager's biggest fear is likely that you will be unproductive without close supervision. Keep him or her informed of your progress by submitting a weekly report of your at-home activities, or setting up regular evaluation meetings to review your accomplishments.<br /><br />If the possibility of working from home appeals to you, put together a case that indicates how such an arrangement could benefit you and your employer. By considering all aspects involved, anticipating your manager's concerns and continuing to demonstrate the advantages of telecommuting, you may soon find yourself among those who dial, rather than drive, into work.<br /><br />Robert Half International Inc. is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm with a global network of more than 330 offices throughout North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. For more information about our professional services, please visit www.rhi.com.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a>

Get Your Boss to Say Yes to Telecommuting

As employees and businesses increasingly recognize the benefits of telecommuting, the number of professionals working remotely has grown dra...

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A new blogger - Joe

There's a new blogger on the block. He only has three posts so far, and is doing an amazing job. We all need a little support and encouragement on this journey, so please stop by and say hello to Joe at <a href="http://schizofilly.blogspot.com/" target="blank">Shizofilly's World</a>.

A new blogger - Joe

There's a new blogger on the block. He only has three posts so far, and is doing an amazing job. We all need a little support and encour...

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Workplace Wars

For many people, the workweek is longer than the fabled 40 hours. Working lunches and late nights can keep you at the office for the bulk of your waking hours.<br /><br />Is it any wonder there's some workplace friction once in awhile?<br /><br />Like childhood siblings who can't help but get on each other's nerves, officemates can push your hot buttons without even trying. The problem is, nobody's there to put you in separate rooms until you cool down. A conflict can escalate from a difference of opinion to a full-fledged battle.<br /><br />Sometimes no matter how willing you are to ignore the problem, you just can't. If your mental health depends on overcoming a workplace war, it's time to deal with it.<br /><br />The other party: A co-worker.<br />The war: Disagreements with colleagues are anything but rare. For one thing, you probably spend more time interacting with colleagues than with anybody else. Human nature suggests you'll get irritated with each other at one time or another. Factor in perceived competition for promotions and your boss's attention, and you have the recipe for a co-worker conflict.<br />The solution: "First, take a moment to plan out your course of action. You want to take emotion out of the equation and make sure you are being proactive instead of reactive," says Carly Drum, a workplace etiquette expert with New York-based executive search firm Drum Associates. Set up a meeting and have an agenda ready so you can ensure you stay constructive and on task. The goal of the meeting should be to "discuss how to work more effectively as a team and to discuss issues that might be posing obstacles."<br /><br />The other party: Your boss.<br />The war: Well, you're fighting with your boss and that's never good. A lot of issues factor into it, whether it's just a difference of opinions or office politics. Even if you don't deal with your boss one-on-one every day, he or she influences your daily tasks and your future at the company. It's a tightrope walk deciding how to stand up for yourself without having to immediately pack your things and be escorted out by security.<br />The solution: A good boss will engage you in a dialogue about any concerns you have if you approach him or her in the right way. Arrange a meeting to talk about what's troubling you, Drum suggests. "No one likes to be blindsided, especially your supervisor." Focus on how your concerns affect productivity and the environment at work. "Your main goal should be to improve processes or issues within the company. Just make sure that you do not become a 'squeaky wheel.'"<br /><br />The other party: A C-level executive.<br />The war: C-level executives, such as CEOs and CFOs, have a lot of power. With that power often comes stronger personalities that can be demanding or abrasive. In fairness, they also have more responsibility and time constraints; sometimes you're unfortunately on the receiving end of frustration they can't vent during meetings or negotiations.<br />The solution: Assess the situation carefully. You want to be certain you don't step on anyone's toes as you try to solve the problem. "Proper business protocol is to go to your direct boss first with a work problem," Drum says. If the C-level problem is your boss, however, then contacting human resources is the safer course of action. Use your judgment to know whether the other person is going to be receptive to a one-on-one meeting or if you should go directly to HR. Your goal should be to open a dialogue about the issue in the most diplomatic way possible.<br /><br />The other party: A client.<br />The war: If you deal with clients and vendors every day, you're bound to get irked by something they do. Perhaps they're high maintenance or they're too stubborn to listen to you – whatever the case may be, you have to deal with them.<br />The solution: As tricky as it is to approach a boss about a concern, it can be even more difficult to bring up the subject with the clients who are giving you business. In fact, you should make sure it's something you can't ignore before you decide to have a conversation with them.<br /><br />"If discussing the problem is something that that will enhance the work product or relationship, then the conversation should happen sooner rather than later," Drum says. "If the issue is simply about a passing clash of personality rather than a substantive work matter, apply common sense as to whether the disagreement even warrants discussion."<br /><br />Regardless of whom you're not getting along with, remember that you decide what your limit is. If remaining silent adds to your stress level instead of alleviating it, then you should speak up. If you're in an environment where nothing changes or your concerns aren't addressed, think about whether or not it's a good place for you.<br /><br />By Anthony Balderrama writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a>

Workplace Wars

For many people, the workweek is longer than the fabled 40 hours. Working lunches and late nights can keep you at the office for the bulk of...

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America's Most Dangerous Jobs

<a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/7c/ar5d6r566hq6gr3m5p7c.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/7c/ar5d6r566hq6gr3m5p7c.gif" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><div>While many of us go to our jobs every day without even thinking that we might suffer a paper cut, there are thousands of other workers in peril every time they punch the clock. From inner city violence to acts of nature, professionals put their lives at risk to keep the community safe, keep store shelves stocked with food, keep our utilities running, and build our roads, cars and homes.<br /><br />In August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its annual report identifying the industries and occupations that had the most fatal work injuries. In 2008, there were 5,071 fatal work injuries and a fatality rate of 3.6 per 100,000 workers in the United States -- a drop from 5,657 and 4.0 respectively in 2007. While this decrease is something to be optimistic about, there are other factors to consider.<br /><br />According to the BLS, economic factors likely played a role in the fatality decrease. Hours worked at the national level fell by one percent in 2008, and some industries that have historically accounted for a significant share of worker fatalities, such as construction, experienced larger declines in employment or hours worked. One might speculate the economy also be factored into the rise of workplace suicides, which were up 28 percent to a series high of 251 cases in 2008.<br /><br />Are you curious to see if your job is one of the most hazardous? These were the most fatal occupations and industries last year:<br /><br />Jobs with the highest fatality rates<br />The following 10 occupations had the highest fatality rates in 2008:<br /><br />1. Fishers and related fishing workers<br />Fatality rate*: 128.9<br /><br />2. Logging workers<br />Fatality rate: 115.7<br /><br />3. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers<br />Fatality rate: 72.4<br /><br />4. Structural iron and steel workers<br />Fatality rate: 46.4<br /><br />5. Farmers and ranchers<br />Fatality rate: 39.5<br /><br />6. Refuse and recyclable material collectors<br />Fatality rate: 36.8<br /><br />7. Roofers<br />Fatality rate: 34.4<br /><br />8. Electrical power line installers and repairers<br />Fatality rate: 29.8<br /><br />9. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers<br />Fatality rate: 22.8<br /><br />10. Taxi drivers and chauffeurs<br />Fatality rate: 19.3<br /><br /><br />Jobs with the most fatalities<br />The following 10 positions saw the most deaths in 2008:<br /><br />1. Motor vehicle operators<br />Number of victims: 908<br />Most common manner of death: 66 were highway-related.<br /><br />2. Construction trades workers<br />Number of victims: 720<br />Most common manner of death: 37 were attributed to falls<br /><br />3. Material moving workers<br />Number of victims: 248<br />Most common manner of death: 14 fall-related fatalities and 12 were struck by objects<br /><br />4. Law enforcement workers<br />Number of victims: 144<br />Most common manner of death: 38 were highway-related and 33 were homicides<br /><br />5. Agricultural workers<br />Number of victims: 33<br />Most common manner of death: 19 highway-related fatalities<br /><br />6. Grounds maintenance workers<br />Number of victims: 128<br />Most common manner of death: 20 deaths each from falls and being struck by an object<br /><br />7. Sales supervisors<br />Number of victims: 124<br />Most common manner of death: 52 homicides<br /><br />8. Vehicle and mobile equipment mechanics, installers, repairers<br />Number of victims: 110<br />Most common manner of death: 30 were struck by objects<br /><br />9. Supervisors, construction and extraction workers<br />Number of victims: 108<br />Most common manner of death: 24 fall-related deaths<br /><br />10. Metal or plastic workers<br />Number of victims: 102<br />Most common manner of death: 15 from being struck by an object and 13 from falls<br /><br /><br /><br />Most dangerous industries<br />These industries led in the number and rates of fatalities in 2008:<br /><br />1. Construction<br />Number of deaths: 969<br />Fatality rate: 9.6<br /><br />2. Transportation and warehousing<br />Number of deaths: 762<br />Fatality rate: 14.2<br /><br />3. Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting<br />Number of deaths: 651<br />Fatality rate: 29.4<br /><br />4. Government<br />Number of deaths: 522<br />Fatality rate: 2.3<br /><br />5. Manufacturing<br />Number of deaths: 404<br />Fatality rate: 2.5<br /><br />6. Professional and business services<br />Number of deaths: 389<br />Fatality rate: 2.7<br /><br />7. Retail trade<br />Number of deaths: 290<br />Fatality rate: 2<br /><br />8. Leisure and hospitality<br />Number of deaths: 233<br />Fatality rate: 2.2<br /><br />9. Wholesale trade<br />Number of deaths: 175<br />Fatality rate: 4.2<br /><br />10. Mining<br />Number of deaths: 175<br />Fatality rate: 18<br /><br />*Fatality rate is the number of fatalities per 100,000 workers<br /><br />By Kate Lorenz editor for CareerBuilder.com and its job-seeker blog, www.TheWorkBuzz.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow her on Twitter www.twitter.com/katelorenz. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a> </div>

America's Most Dangerous Jobs

While many of us go to our jobs every day without even thinking that we might suffer a paper cut, there are thousands of other workers in pe...

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Using the Right Lingo in Your Military to Civilian Job Hunt

Excerpted with permission from "Military-to-Civilian Career Transition Guide"<br />Janet I. Farley, author of "Military-to-Civilian Career Transition Guide"<br /><br />In addition to deciding the content for your resume, you have to decide what type of language to use, military jargon or everyday English. If you're targeting a job within the defense industry, feel free to use the military jargon to which you've become accustomed. The defense industry likes to hire employees who understand the lingo.<br /><br />On the other hand, if you're targeting a job outside that arena, you may have to use everyday English. If you were to take someone who has never been exposed to life in the military and plant them in the middle of a typical conversation between service members discussing work, that person would probably feel as though he was a stranger in an even stranger land.<br /><br />The military loves its acronyms. Once you get used to them, it's not so bad; however, civilian employers may not understand them at all. I've provided the following translations to assist you in crafting your resume and your speech. Not that some words or job titles may be clearly understood without changing them.<br /><br />Common Translations<br />In the Military: Commander<br />In the Civilian World: Director/Senior Manager/President<br /><br />In the Military: Executive Officer<br />In the Civilian World: Deputy Director/Assistant<br /><br />In the Military: Action Officer<br />In the Civilian World: Senior Analyst<br /><br />In the Military: Branch or Division Chief<br />In the Civilian World: Branch/Division Chief<br /><br />In the Military: Program or Project Manager<br />In the Civilian World: Program or Project Manager<br /><br />In the Military: General Officers<br />In the Civilian World: President/Senior Director/Chairperson/ CEO/COO/CFO/Senior Vice President/Executive Vice President<br /><br />In the Military: Senior Field Grade Officer<br />In the Civilian World: Senior Administrator/Chief Executive/Department Head/Program Director/Deputy Chief/Senior Executive<br /><br />In the Military: Field Grade Officer<br />In the Civilian World: Executive/Manager<br /><br />In the Military: Company Grade Officers<br />In the Civilian World: Associate/Operations Manager/ Unit or Section Manager<br /><br />In the Military: Warrant Officer<br />In the Civilian World: Director/Specialist/Department Manager<br /><br />In the Military: Senior NCOs<br />In the Civilian World: Director/First-Line Supervisor<br /><br />In the Military: Infantry<br />In the Civilian World: Ground Security Force<br /><br />In the Military: Sergeant Major<br />In the Civilian World: Senior Advisor<br /><br />In the Military: First Sergeant<br />In the Civilian World: Personnel Manager<br /><br />In the Military: Squad Leader<br />In the Civilian World: Team Leader/Team Chief<br /><br />In the Military: Supply Sergeant<br />In the Civilian World: Supply Manager/Logistics Manager<br /><br />In the Military: Operations NCO<br />In the Civilian World: Operations Manager<br /><br />In the Military: NCO<br />In the Civilian World: Supervisor/Manager<br /><br />In the Military: OER/NCOER<br />In the Civilian World: performance rating/evaluation<br /><br />In the Military: AI<br />In the Civilian World: additionally skilled in...<br /><br />In the Military: AAM-ARCOM<br />In the Civilian World: award/recognition<br /><br />In the Military: ANCOC/BNCOC<br />In the Civilian World: advanced (specialty) course<br /><br />In the Military: battalion (BN)<br />In the Civilian World: unit/organization/agency<br /><br />In the Military: headquarters<br />In the Civilian World: headquarters<br /><br />In the Military: combat<br />In the Civilian World: conflict/hostilities/emergency/ highly hazardous conditions<br /><br />In the Military: company<br />In the Civilian World: company/unit/department<br /><br />In the Military: correspondence course<br />In the Civilian World: extension course/distance learning<br /><br />In the Military: leader<br />In the Civilian World: supervisor/manager<br /><br />In the Military: medal<br />In the Civilian World: award recognition<br /><br />In the Military: military personnel office (MILPO)<br />In the Civilian World: personnel office<br /><br />In the Military: mission<br />In the Civilian World: task/function/objective<br /><br />In the Military: military occupation specialty (MOS)<br />In the Civilian World: career specialty<br /><br />In the Military: platoon<br />In the Civilian World: section/element/department<br /><br />In the Military: Platoon Sergeant<br />In the Civilian World: Supervisor/ Instructor/Trainer<br /><br />In the Military: physical training (pt)<br />In the Civilian World: physical training<br /><br />In the Military: reconnaissance<br />In the Civilian World: data collection/survey/analysis<br /><br />In the Military: regulations<br />In the Civilian World: policy/guidelines/instructions<br /><br />In the Military: security clearance<br />In the Civilian World: security clearance<br /><br />In the Military: soldiers/airmen/marines/sailors<br />In the Civilian World: personnel/staff/employees/individuals/people<br /><br />In the Military: subordinates<br />In the Civilian World: employees/personnel/staff/individuals/people<br /><br />In the Military: Temporary Duty (TDY)<br />In the Civilian World: business trip/ temporary duty<br /><br />In the Military: Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)<br />In the Civilian World: legal action/document<br /><br />In the Military: TDA/MTOE<br />In the Civilian World: organizational structure/human and material resources<br /><br />In the Military: Personnel Action Center (PAC)<br />In the Civilian World: personnel office<br /><br />In the Military: AR/DA/NAV Pamphlets<br />In the Civilian World: policy/guidelines/rules<br /><br />In the Military: team<br />In the Civilian World: team<br /><br />In the Military: squad<br />In the Civilian World: section<br /><br />In the Military: brigade<br />In the Civilian World: group/division<br /><br />In the Military: battalion<br />In the Civilian World: division<br /><br />In the Military: PLDC/BNCOC<br />In the Civilian World: leadership or advanced leadership development course<br /><br />In the Military: Command and General Staff College<br />In the Civilian World: strategic management course<br /><br />In the Military: War College<br />In the Civilian World: advanced strategic studies course<br /><br />By Janet Farley, author of The Military-to-Civilian Career Transition Guide (Jist, Inc., 2004) and "Jobs and the Military Spouse, 2nd Ed," (Impact Pub., 2004). She can be reached at janetfarley@hotmail.com. She is also the JobTalk columnist for the European, Pacific & Asian Stars and Stripes. Mrs. Farley is also a contributing editor to Civilian Job News, a Militaryresumes.com publication.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a>

Using the Right Lingo in Your Military to Civilian Job Hunt

Excerpted with permission from "Military-to-Civilian Career Transition Guide" Janet I. Farley, author of "Military-to-Civilia...

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Day 11: Back in the game!

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24OD8SOw2xfIvCuGa6OCC4CHX4aib6BIVvdVJC0dHRrWyzE5mpdO54ileHS_r4xtIi5FtqpooZoFAOx_uQ4UZ5qq6hJX_fFaI_v47Pm54Zixi6lYqdnCz7pHDwlY0jrS8GDKXjHLFopW2/s1600-h/1_150.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378964859679030418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24OD8SOw2xfIvCuGa6OCC4CHX4aib6BIVvdVJC0dHRrWyzE5mpdO54ileHS_r4xtIi5FtqpooZoFAOx_uQ4UZ5qq6hJX_fFaI_v47Pm54Zixi6lYqdnCz7pHDwlY0jrS8GDKXjHLFopW2/s400/1_150.JPG" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br />My Saturday and Sunday were so far from perfect that it was almost a joke. I tried, kind of, but not really. My heart wasn't into this whole healthy lifestyle thing. I could feel myself yearning for the old days of not caring what I ate or what I looked like or even what I felt like. I just plain didn't care...for two days. Those two days were both 40+ Point days.<br /><br />Then the TLC documentaries on the super obese were on TV on Sunday night. Wow, that was a dose of reality that I needed. It was like getting hit over the head with a hammer. A hey you, stupid, wake the hell up. You're watching yourself on TV. Everything they were saying, I've felt. The hopelessness, the helplessness, the depression over my weight, the pain, the sadness, and of course, the shame.<br /><br />Monday morning I woke up with a whole new attitude. It's an "I'm going to win!" attitude. A "this will not defeat me" attitude. I will not fall into old bad habits and my old lifestyle. I'm a vibrant, young, alive, and healthy woman (okay, I'm taking liberties on the young, young for a 54-year old!). I have a good life. I don't want to ruin it with obesity. Been there, done that, and it sucked big time.<br /><br />Yesterday I changed all my sticky notes to 150 and the date 10-31-09. It was 152 and 10-09-09, but since we have an extra three weeks I changed my weight goal to 150. I know I'm going to make this goal. In my best Scarlett O'Hara voice..."As God is my witness, I will make 150 by October 31, 2009!"<br /><br /><strong>Points</strong><br />Some people think maybe I'm not eating enough with only 19 Points a day. All I can say is, oh honey, I'm eating more than enough! Take a look at that picture at the top, notice I'm -29.5 Points and it was only day three of my Weight Watcher week! Freak!<br /><br />I think I may have figured out how to fix that giant Point deficit and pull myself out of the hole this week. I worked out like a crazy woman yesterday. I was on fire at the gym. Thirty minutes stair climber, and I started at level 7 and ended at level 9 on the Speed course. Then 30 minutes on the Crosstrainer. Add in 45 minutes of strength and my heart rate monitor said I burned 595 calories! Weight Watchers only counts it as 7 Activity Points, but that put me only -22.5 Points. If I work out like that every day, I can break even by Friday. I'm going to give it my best shot.<br /><br />Best part of my workout was that I was able to do 8 reps of concentrated bicep curls using 25-pound dumbbells. I've been doing three sets of 12 with 20-pounds and it was starting to feel easy. So I tried one set with 25 pounds. Extremely hard but I did it! Plus I saw the guys looking at me. I'm sure they're trying to figure out how this old lady is lifting 25-pound dumbbells. Let me tell you, months and months of hard work.<br /><br /><strong>Music</strong><br /><a href="http://losingmyself2.blogspot.com/" target="blank">Ida</a> asked me what music I listen to when I work out. It's almost a little embarrassing to post this because I have the music taste of a 13-year old, but this is what's on my iPod this month. I add new tunes every few weeks.<br /><br />Sept 2009 playlist for working out:<br /><br />Knock you Down, Keri Helison, Kanye West & Ne-Yo <---<em>warmup song</em><br />I Gotta Feeling, Black Eyed Peas<br />Party in the U.S.A, Miley Cyrus<br />Fire Burning, Sean Kingston<br />Down, Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne<br />Right Round, Flo Rida<br />Use Somebody, Kings of Leon<br />Love Drunk, Boys Like Girls<br />Good Girls Go Bad, Cobra Starship <---<em>I play this one over and over</em><br />If Today Was Your Last Day, Nickleback<br />Poker Face, Lady GaGa<em> <---</em> <em>I removed this because I was sick to death of it. Then I missed it so added it back in :)<br /></em>Low, Flo Rida featuring T-Pain<br />I'm in Seatle Trick, LMFAO<br />In the Ayer, Flo Rida <--- <em>old one, from last year I think, but I love to do cardio to it</em><br />Sugar, Flo Rida <--- <em>another oldie but goodie. Apparently I'm a huge Flo Rida fan. Who would have guessed?</em><br />Come to Me, Diddy <--- <em>old<br /></em>Last Night, Diddy <---<em>old</em><br />Halo, Beyonce<br />Missing You, Allison Kraus & John Waite <--- good <em>cooldown song</em>

Day 11: Back in the game!

My Saturday and Sunday were so far from perfect that it was almost a joke. I tried, kind of, but not really. My heart wasn't into this w...

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Mesures en faveur de l’emploi des seniors

<BR><br />D’ici au 1er janvier 2010, toutes les entreprises (ou groupes d’entreprises) employant au moins 50 salariés, doivent avoir conclu un accord ou établi un plan d’action sur l’emploi des salariés âgés.<br /><br />Dans le cas contraire ces entreprises seront soumises à une pénalité financière équivalente à 1 % de leur masse salariale.<br /><br />Le site <a href="http://www.emploidesseniors.gouv.fr" target="_blank">www.emploidesseniors.gouv.fr</a> propose :<br /><ul><li>une présentation complète de ce dispositif ; <br /><li>une liste des accords de branche déposés, validés et étendus ; <br /><li>des exemples de bonnes pratiques ; <br /><li>des propositions d’indicateurs.</ul><br />Une <a href="http://www.travail-solidarite.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/brochure_emploi_des_seniors.pdf" target="_blank">Brochure sur les mesures en faveur de l’emploi des seniors</a> est également téléchargeable.<br /><BR>

Mesures en faveur de l’emploi des seniors

D’ici au 1er janvier 2010, toutes les entreprises (ou groupes d’entreprises) employant au moins 50 salariés, doivent avoir conclu un accord ...

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Day 10: Half-ton mom, Half-ton dad, 650 lb. virgin

<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuk7IormpFPQ8K26xK6eOptxAgQCNbWtKQkCfXRj7dLsKu9vIFbRsrpEfhyYNySPW_pfKKU_Bgg4bubgSuYEPKfQYY-N85kTy1ViZyev48y7da-aYvtFiyfxkQ8f5t_GPILM7J-m_T039/s1600-h/halftondad_series%5B1%5D.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378698747076618898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpuk7IormpFPQ8K26xK6eOptxAgQCNbWtKQkCfXRj7dLsKu9vIFbRsrpEfhyYNySPW_pfKKU_Bgg4bubgSuYEPKfQYY-N85kTy1ViZyev48y7da-aYvtFiyfxkQ8f5t_GPILM7J-m_T039/s400/halftondad_series%5B1%5D.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 260px; CURSOR: hand" /></a> Kenneth Brumley, 1,035 pounds</div><div align="center">TLC - Half-ton man<br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"><br />It's day 10 of my 'lose 12 pounds in nine weeks' plan.<br /><br />Yesterday wasn't a perfect day like I had hoped. I made the healthy Eggplant Parmesan with bulgur and pine nuts recipe I linked here a few days ago. YUK! Totally gross. It was a ton of work and tasted awful. I hated the eggplant and normally I love eggplant. I've never eaten bulgur before, and I never will again. Totally yukky. Strangely my husband loved both dishes, and he's not one to say he likes something if he doesn't. I wanted to throw them both in the trash.<br /><br />After dinner (and I ate very little) I ate tortilla chips. My husband had bought them. I would never bring them in the house. Normally I would just ignore the chips but he found a brand that tastes just like the handmade ones at my favorite Mexican restaurant. I tried them the last time he bought them. I loved them but only ate a couple chips that time. 13 chips are 170 calories and 9 grams of fat. I ate about 100 chips last night. This time I didn't do the math. I didn't want to know.<br /><br />On top of this I skipped the gym, two days in a row. This is not like me at all. In fact, I had that little feeling of fear. That voice in my head was going, "I told you that you couldn't do this. You're going to fail and gain back all 80 pounds plus more." The other voice tried to comfort me, tell me it was okay, I was still sore from Friday's workout, it was okay to take two days off in a row from the gym. The last time I did that was when I had the flu in April.<br /><br />After my chip pigout, I watched television (let's see, no exercise, chips, and TV...sounds like the old me). TLC had on three programs, back to back: Half-ton mom, Half-ton dad, and 650-pound virgin. I watched all three.<br /><br />TLC often has these types of documentaries and they always scare the crap out of me. I always think, that could be me. When I told my husband what I was thinking, that I could easily weigh that much, he looked at me like I'd grown horns and a tail. His words were "No way!". We've had this discussion before and he never believes me. Yet I know in my heart that it really could happen, I really could become one of the super obese and probably even become bedridden.<br /><br />My husband kept saying he just couldn't understand how anyone could let themselves get to that point of weighing 1,000 pounds. My husband doesn't have the same relationship with food that I have with it.<br /><br />He doesn't deprive himself, he eats what he wants, he's not freaked out that he's 50 pounds overweight, and from what I've seen, he really doesn't understand the concept of going on a diet. He'll "cut back", but he won't diet where he's hungry and consumed by thoughts of food.<br /><br />Basically, he doesn't get "it", the whole idea of food as comfort, food as a friend, food that will numb the pain. He thinks of food as sustenance. If he's hungry, he eats. He doesn't understand that I feel hungry most of the time. When I whine that I'm so hungry I could just die, his response is usually, "well, eat something!" or "just don't think about it". Neither is helpful.<br /><br />Watching those TLC shows did scare me. I understand those people. I understand how easy it would be to slip up day after day, to eat with abandon, and then one day wake up super obese (which is a BMI of 50-60). The one-ton dad said it was so easy to just let himself go, and once he got to where he was (1,035 pounds) it seemed impossible to change.<br /><br />I don't want to wind up there. I don't want to slip up day after day, and eat with abandon. I don't want to wind up back where I started, NOT THIS TIME. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Plan for today:<br /><br />1.) Number one priority is to hit the gym when it opens at 8 a.m. 50 minutes of cardio, 40 minutes of upper body strength.<br /><br />2.) Eat my 19 base Points plus 4 APs for a total of 23. That's going to be hard but I'm going to do my best do stay within that limit<br /><br />3.) Remember half-ton mom, half-ton dad, and 650-pound virgin. Keep them forefront in my thoughts. I don't want to be them, and I know it could happen if I'm not careful.<br /><br /><em>Note: Please don't think I think badly of the people I saw in these TLC documentaries. My heart goes out to them. I know it sounds strange and most people probably won't even believe me, but I can totally relate to these people. I know how easy that could happen to me, but I plan on doing everything in my power to not let it happen to me<br /><br />Half-ton mom, Renee Williams, died of a massive heart attack two weeks after gastric bypass surgery. I was crying at the end of that show. She was only 29 and left behind a 13 year-old daughter. Half-ton dad, Kenneth Brumley (pictured above at his heaviest), had gastric bypass surgery and is at home still losing weight. He's lost 489 pounds lost so far, and weighs 521 pounds. I think he's going to make it. 650-pound virgin, David Smith, had lost over 410 pounds without any weight loss surgery and had skin removal surgery. He's a hottie and is out in the dating world. I doubt he's still a virgin.</em> </div>

Day 10: Half-ton mom, Half-ton dad, 650 lb. virgin

Kenneth Brumley, 1,035 pounds TLC - Half-ton man It's day 10 of my 'lose 12 pounds in nine weeks' plan. Yesterday wasn't a ...

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Day 9: You think this is hard? You are NOT alone.

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnK8vuAhyphenhyphenwz7lMpsXoffmcbBQoQxje0-28bgN0H7WHds5U631y2pVAAnJ1LIFncMJzLWqlnlDQ-45b54JF_GqbT7knJlXWhHhRrrFpr1AuJDPubUw0sgDutTstE-JNthsZSFwsHw5-Occ/s1600-h/reddiwip.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378410958567393762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnK8vuAhyphenhyphenwz7lMpsXoffmcbBQoQxje0-28bgN0H7WHds5U631y2pVAAnJ1LIFncMJzLWqlnlDQ-45b54JF_GqbT7knJlXWhHhRrrFpr1AuJDPubUw0sgDutTstE-JNthsZSFwsHw5-Occ/s400/reddiwip.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 190px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 276px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><div>I wasn't even going to talk about this, but just in case there's someone else out there that's feeling hopeless about losing weight, that feels like they can't get this figured out, that sometimes it seems like it's just impossible to win at losing...well, you are NOT alone.<br /><br />After my great loss yesterday, eating healthy all day, purposely staying out of the gym so my muscles and body could recover from several back to back intense workouts, I blew it last night.<br /><br />I finished off the can of Reddiwip (and yes, it's really spelled like that, without an "h"). It was three cups of yummy goodness, equivalent to 18 Points. That made yesterday a 49-Point day. That leaves me with 4.5 weekly Points and nothing in the bank for Activity Points (so far). It's going to be a very long week.<br /><br />It all started innocently enough. I was going to have some sugar-free strawberry jello with a couple tablespoons of Reddiwip. The Reddiwip is only 15 calories and 1 gram of fat per two tablespoons. The jello hadn't set up yet.<br /><br />I should have just gone to bed and gone to sleep. I tried, I really did, but I couldn't stop thinking about the Reddiwip. At least this time I used a measuring cup. Three cups later I felt satisfied, although somewhat annoyed with myself.<br /><br />My point of this post is that we all slip up and mess up. I seem to more than most, yet I can still lose weight. I know I'm going to make goal in spite of these continual slip ups.<br /><br />It's really about how we handle these slip ups. Do we beat ourselves up? Do we just give up because it's so hard? Do we cry about our lot in life, that we're saddled with this unhealthy addiction to food? I felt all of that last night. I had the "poor me, this is so unfair, I'm such a screw up" attitude. You know the routine, you've probably done it to yourself a million times.<br /><br />When I woke up this morning I felt a twinge of regret, but I know that today I will get right back on program, just like I do every time something like this happens. It's going to be a tough week, with a lot of hard work ahead of me, but I will not let this little lapse define my week or define me.<br /><br />Yes, it's hard, and you're not alone if you feel like it's next to impossible to lose weight. Just remember, in spite of everything, it is possible. </div>

Day 9: You think this is hard? You are NOT alone.

I wasn't even going to talk about this, but just in case there's someone else out there that's feeling hopeless about losing wei...

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Planning de la semaine du 7 au 11 septembre

<BR><br /><h2><strong><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 113%;color:#005c9b;" >Permanences<br /></span></strong></h2><br /><ul><br /><li>Le <strong>Conseil Général du Loiret</strong> sera présent dans les locaux de la Maison de l'Emploi du bassin d'Orléans<br />- le lundi 7 septembre de 9h à 12h30,<br />- le mardi 8 septembre de 9h à 12h30 et de 13h30 à 17h,<br />- le mercredi 9 septembre de 13h30 à 17h.<br /><br /><li>La <strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2009/08/droits-devoirs-et-prevention-sante-cpam.html">Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie</a></strong> sera présente dans les locaux de la Maison de l'Emploi du bassin d'Orléans<br />- le mardi 8 septembre de 9h à 12h,<br />- le vendredi 11 septembre de 9h à 12h.</li><br /><br /><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2007/11/boutique-de-gestion.html">Boutique de gestion</a></strong><br />- le lundi 7 septembre de 14h à 17h<br />- le vendredi 11 septembre de 9h à 12h30</li></ul><br /><h2><strong><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 113%;color:#005c9b;" >Ateliers</span></strong><br /></h2><br /><ul><br /><li><strong>CV</strong> - mardi 8 septembre de 9h à 12h30<br /><br /><li><strong>Lettre de Motivation </strong>- mardi 8 septembre de 13h30 à 17h<br /><br /><li><strong>Préparation à l'entretien</strong> - jeudi 10 septembre de 13h30 à 16h30<br /><br /><li><strong>Pôle-emploi.fr</strong> - vendredi 11 septembre de 10h à 11h30<br /><br /><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2009/07/atelier-situtilises-tu-trouves.html">Sit'Utilises tu trouves</a></strong> - vendredi 11 septembre de 14h à 16h</li></ul><br /><h2><strong><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 113%;color:#005c9b;" >Visite d'entreprise</span></strong></h2><br /><ul><br /><li><strong><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2009/09/souvrir-les-portes-des-metiers-du-verre.html">Visite de l'entreprise Gouffault</a></strong> - jeudi 10 septembre à 14h</li></ul>

Planning de la semaine du 7 au 11 septembre

Permanences Le Conseil Général du Loiret sera présent dans les locaux de la Maison de l'Emploi du bassin d'Orléans - le lundi 7 sep...

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Day 8 - part two: the official weighin (WOOHOO!)

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYe64TiMSIblaT7ON0iYaw-Zkgb8GPh6NuX5Qm5VPRewN41iIe2kZ0MwYuWeDL2er9zeL7rM1TV-VZTQa31MnHmt446O_EJk-E1Hl0iqTKCLrbRz8_04Kze-JZEXI0UOhxXK8iIYji22r/s1600-h/Weight_1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378101289539168642" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYe64TiMSIblaT7ON0iYaw-Zkgb8GPh6NuX5Qm5VPRewN41iIe2kZ0MwYuWeDL2er9zeL7rM1TV-VZTQa31MnHmt446O_EJk-E1Hl0iqTKCLrbRz8_04Kze-JZEXI0UOhxXK8iIYji22r/s400/Weight_1.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 303px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 165px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br />I lost four pounds this week! My new weight is 158.8. Still a few pounds higher than my lowest, but I'm going in the right direction. I'm so happy!<br /><br />So what did I do right this week and what did I do wrong?<br /><br /><strong>Right</strong><br /><br />1.) Journaled every day, even on the days I ate too much (tracking that I ate over 40 Points on two different days was painful!).<br /><br />2.) Drank a ton of water, at least 64 ounces a day.<br /><br />3.) Completely cut out the sugar-free ice cream and Weight Watcher snacks. Switched to sugar-free jello with yogurt and fresh fruit.<br /><br />2.) Six workouts of 45 minutes cardio minimum & 40 minutes strength (three days lower, three days upper).<br /><br />3.) Lots of fruits and vegetables, very little processed food.<br /><br />4.) No beef after Sunday (I think I'm allergic to beef). Ate chicken, fish, vegetables.<br /><br /><strong>Wrong</strong><br /><br />1.) Ate beef on Sunday, made me feel awful on Monday.<br /><br />2.) Two late night binges. Controlled binges but they were still binges, approximately 20 additional Points over my allotted 29 Points, each time. Very bad!<br /><br />What I want to change this week:<br /><br />1.) Get a better handle on the late night eating. I only did it twice last week, aiming for maximum of once this week. None would be better, but I have to be realistic.<br /><br />2.) Add two vegetarian meals this week. I'm making <a href="http://www.fatbustermack.com/2009/08/eggplant-parmesan-with-bulgur-and-pine.html" target="blank">this</a> tonight and it looks delicious. I haven't figured out the Points yet but it can't be that bad.<br /><br />Only 8.8 pounds to 150! That's not my final goal weight but it's the goal for the Weight Watchers Lose for Good compaign. My goal was 152 but they gave us another week, so since I did so good the first week (4 pounds) and I have another week, I changed my goal to 150 by October 31, 2009. I have eight more weeks. That's only 1.1 pounds per week. Total loss for the nine weeks that I want to see is 12.8 pounds. I'm positive I can do this!

Day 8 - part two: the official weighin (WOOHOO!)

I lost four pounds this week! My new weight is 158.8. Still a few pounds higher than my lowest, but I'm going in the right direction. I&...

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Day 8: End of week 1 weighin

I haven't gone to Weight Watchers yet, it's not until 11 a.m. I'm ridiculously nervous. It's like I studied for a big test, goofed off a couple of nights so maybe didn't study as hard as I should have, but have high hopes of pulling off an A. I know it's silly to feel like this, but it's a good nervous. It means I'm taking this seriously, this business of getting to goal. Something I haven't done for months.<br /><br />I had my best workout of my life yesterday afternoon. I had the day off and goofed off all day until 4 p.m. when I decided I'd better hit the gym.<br /><br />I have some new tunes on my iPod, my new favorite is Girls Go Bad by Cobra Starship (best workout song ever!)--see video below. <br /><br />My body was super powerful and strong. Maybe the two bad days of workouts I had last week was letting my body heal and get stronger. I don't know what happened but I just know I loved it. According to my heart rate monitor I burned 611 calories in an hour and a half. A record for me. It's usually around 500. Sadie is my best friend, best cardio machine ever made!<br /><br />I'm debating about working out before my weigh in. Sort of a last chance workout thing like they do on the biggest loser. After last night's workout that might be too much. I think I'll have a lazy Saturday morning instead. I'll post again after my weigh in.<br /><br /><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0ON7zCLX1Mk&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0ON7zCLX1Mk&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>

Day 8: End of week 1 weighin

I haven't gone to Weight Watchers yet, it's not until 11 a.m. I'm ridiculously nervous. It's like I studied for a big test, ...

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Layoff Survivor's Guilt

<a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/qt/ar5b01t69j69tvjm4rqt.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/qt/ar5b01t69j69tvjm4rqt.gif" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><div>With unemployment numbers continuing their steady climb, you've probably seen layoffs happen in your company or to someone you know -- hopefully not to you. As you can probably attest, losing a job is never easy on anyone, even if it turns out to be for the best.<br /><br />What you might not think about is how people who are spared from cuts deal with the aftermath. As weird as it sounds, people who see their colleagues receive pink slips can have their own struggles as a result. You probably wonder why anyone would feel anything but happy about having a job in a shaky economy -- isn't that like complaining that your wallet is too small for all your hundreds? Survivor's guilt is common, however.<br /><br />Uh ... I'm sorry?<br />After a layoff occurs, everyone in the company is left balancing their emotions with their duties. Just because you're sad, scared and relieved doesn't mean you're given a pass to stop working, even though you'd rather take some personal time to assess the situation. Paul C.* encountered the struggle, but he didn't have much time to deal with it.<br /><br />Paul and his co-workers were in a meeting when an administrative aide asked them to report to their boss's supervisor ASAP. As they left, Paul told the meeting attendees that he was sorry they had to leave but that they'd resume the meeting later, "Unless, of course, we're being fired." As luck would have it, that was the situation -- except Paul was the only one from his group spared, because his job also dealt in sales. While he went back to his office, the rest were escorted out of the building.<br /><br />"It was weird and difficult trying to carry on while the people who made my sales position possible were no longer there -- or at least I did have survivor thoughts, until one month later they fired me, too!"<br /><br />Although Paul's situation was at times humorous, it highlights the reality that you can't focus all of your energy on feeling guilty, because you have your own career to worry about, too.<br /><br />How to maintain relationships<br />Jenny Schade, president of JRS Consulting, has interviewed employees who were kept on after their companies had layoffs. The effects on these workers often mirror the struggles experienced by their laid-off colleagues.<br /><br />"The remaining employees are often expected to 'do more with less' and move forward," Schade says. "But that's hard to do when they feel depressed, numb and guilty about having made it through the chaos -- classic symptoms of survivor's guilt." The guilt impacts not only your personal life, but also your relationships with your ex-co-workers.<br /><br />"The most uncomfortable part of a job loss is the elephant in the room -- the person who has lost his job may not want to volunteer the information and the other person is at a loss for what to say," Schade says. "By saying, 'I was sorry to hear about your job. Anything I can do to help?' you're addressing the situation and immediately offering your support."<br /><br />Support is still worthwhile, even if you don't have a job opportunity to offer, Schade adds. "You might offer to review a résumé or you may 'know someone who knows someone' and can help make a connection."<br /><br />Schade has guidelines to help layoff survivors feel comfortable maintaining their relationship with ex-colleagues.<br /><br />Let your friend guide the discussion.<br />"If he or she changes the subject, let it go. But if he or she wants to talk, be ready to listen and offer support. Just reflecting the other person's feelings can feel very supportive," Schade says.<br /><br />Listen.<br />"Focus on listening, but be sensitive about asking too many questions," Schade explains. "Asking, 'How many job interviews do you have lined up?' can sound intrusive. It's fine if your friend volunteers information but don't ask questions that may make him or her feel stressed."<br /><br />Maintain the relationship.<br />"Sometimes the worst part of losing a job comes two months later when not much is happening," Schade says. "Invite your friend to lunch (and be sure to pay) or send a supportive note saying he or she is in your thoughts."<br /><br />Guilt and confusion<br />Between restructurings and layoffs, companies are undergoing dramatic shifts that can leave employees confused. For example, Buffy Martin Tarbox was let go from her position as a director last August, along with 55 other employees. Fortunately she was hired back six weeks later -- but for an entry-level position.<br /><br />"My co-workers were unsure as how to treat a person who had been in a supervisor role, laid off from that job but returned in a completely different position," Tarbox says. "Plus, I felt guilty that so many of my co-workers that had lost their jobs were no longer employed but that I had found another position in the organization."<br /><br />News of her return was met with mixed emotions from her former colleagues, who didn't understand why she'd want to go back to the employer who had just let her go, and from those who worried about how she'd be able to adjust to a new job title. Not to mention the employees who knew her when she was higher on the totem pole.<br /><br />"When I returned to the office following my layoff, I noticed how quickly the apologies from co-workers about what had happened came forth," she remembers. "Another interesting aspect was that my former department, the one I had directed, rarely spoke to me. Most wouldn't even return my phone calls. Prior to the layoff, I had close relationships with my department, so I found this perplexing."<br /><br />Layoffs always breed high emotions and confusing circumstances. Considering the uneven situation of the economy, stories like Tarbox's are likely to continue as employers rehire some people and move others around.<br /><br />While no strict etiquette for how to act as a layoff survivor exists (or as a laid-off worker who then becomes an employee again), the best anyone can do is follow Schade's advice to stay sensitive and keep the lines of communication open.<br /><br />*Full name has been withheld by request of the source.<br /><br />By Anthony Balderrama writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a> </div>

Layoff Survivor's Guilt

With unemployment numbers continuing their steady climb, you've probably seen layoffs happen in your company or to someone you know -- h...

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6 Examples of Workplace Rudeness

<a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/40/ar5b10b730hktshbq440.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/40/ar5b10b730hktshbq440.gif" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><div>Are you rude?<br /><br />You rarely steal candy from toddlers.<br /><br />You don't trip people on crutches anymore.<br /><br />You can't even remember the last time you made someone cry.<br /><br />All in all, you could do a lot worse. You might not be in the running for a Good Samaritan of the Year Award, but you're a pretty decent person.<br /><br />But how about your co-workers? Plenty of our daily interactions at work are befuddling. You're often left wondering if people are deliberately rude or just ignorant of their behavior. After all, you'd like to think people aren't going out of their way to inconvenience you.<br /><br />With that in mind, we've taken a look at unappreciated behavior that rears its head in an effort to explain why it's rude and why you shouldn't do it (or why someone shouldn't do it to you).<br /><br />1. You know what's rude? When someone --<br />Interruptions are offensive on many levels. When you interrupt someone, you suggest that your time and ideas are more important than everyone else's and that you have no interest in listening to what they have to say.<br /><br />A rare offense is forgivable, but habitual interruption is problematic, says professional coach Susan B. Wilson. "Some folks interrupt incessantly, whether you are on the phone, in a meeting, deep in thought or in another conversation."<br /><br />2. No thanks<br />Aside from the phrases "Because I said so!" and "No," perhaps the most common thing you'll hear parents say to a child is, "And what do we say?" The prompt is, of course, for the child to thank someone for a kind gesture -- a practice lost on many adults.<br /><br />"The following statistic bears repeating," Wilson says. "In a 2002 Public Agenda survey, 48 percent of adults expressed only 'sometimes' encountering people who made an effort to say 'please' and 'thank you'; 16 percent said they saw such behavior 'practically never.'" A few words to show gratitude can put someone in a good mood -- or at the very least can keep someone out of a foul mood. Why not do it?<br /><br />3. Table manners<br />Kara C.* has her share of venting to do about workplace rudeness, and at the top of the list is the lack of housekeeping manners she witnesses. In her company's communal kitchen, you won't have to look hard to see evidence that someone has recently enjoyed a snack in one of the cups or bowls littering the counter. She wants to remind her colleagues that maids don't work in the office, so they should clean up after themselves.<br /><br />4. That's just #@*%ing rude!<br />Language is very subjective, and everybody has his or her own unique way of speaking. One person's "Howdy" is another person's "What's up?" When it comes to R-rated language, one person's "hell" is another person's "H-E-double hockey sticks." And that's something you should remember when interacting with others at work. It's less about the profanity itself and more about the fact that you don't care if it bothers the people around you.<br /><br />5. Yes, all of us can hear you now<br />Teenagers are very private about phone conversations. They might be young, but they will give you a scowl that makes you feel like you're the child and they're the adult if you eavesdrop. Strange, then, how a dozen years later, many people do a 180 on this practice and seem to want everyone to hear their conversations.<br /><br />Cubicles are the norm in many workplaces, so one person's speakerphone conversation becomes an entire floor's business. Never mind how annoying it is to hear a conversation you're not a part of; think how bothersome it is to try to concentrate on work when someone's blathering in your ears. Rather than force your call on the whole department, invest in a headset or just hold the receiver in your hand.<br /><br />6. I'm sorry, do I know you?<br />When you're walking down the hall and a co-worker is walking toward you, give a smile, a nod or some other greeting. No one's asking you to engage in a bear hug or to pretend you two are best friends. All anyone wants is an acknowledgement that you see them and that you're not going out of your way to avoid having any contact with them.<br /><br />Why is this important? Well, think about the alternative: You walk down the hall and pretend not to see them by averting your eyes. You'd rather do anything but give a quick acknowledgement to this person. What kind of message does that send?<br /><br />*Name has been withheld at the request of the source.<br /><br />By Anthony Balderrama writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.<br /></div><br /><div></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a> </div>

6 Examples of Workplace Rudeness

Are you rude? You rarely steal candy from toddlers. You don't trip people on crutches anymore. You can't even remember the last time...

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5 Fantastic Jobs for Fall

<a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/00/ar5d5l95wy8gx9lndk00.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/00/ar5d5l95wy8gx9lndk00.gif" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><div>When great poets see green leaves grow brittle and turn colors before they fall to the ground, they see the passage of time, and the slow march of death that will inevitably conquer us all.<br /><br />When I see a pile of autumn leaves, I think of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" and free candy.<br /><br />Few people think of the career opportunities or seasonal jobs that come with the fall. During the winter holidays, job seekers know they can count on retail jobs when everyone's shopping. During the summer, they can mow lawns or work as a lifeguard. In the fall ... what exactly do you do?<br /><br />We've put together a list of jobs that you can find in the fall, many of which take advantage of the cooling weather.<br /><br />1. Retail sales clerk<br />Where: Halloween superstores<br /><br />Why: Every September and October you see stores that sell only Halloween costumes and decorations pop up in every city. They're dormant all year, but once fall rolls around, these stores are ready to serve your every ghoulish desire and they need workers to do so.<br /><br />2. Sports referees<br />Where: Recreation centers, sports complexes, local leagues<br /><br />Why: Everyone associates exercise and sports with the summer, but the fall has its own bevy of athletic opportunities. Recreational leagues, community centers and schools have plenty of football, soccer and basketball games going on year-round that need officiating.<br /><br />3. Landscape workers<br />Where: Businesses and homes<br /><br />Why: Not all homeowners have green thumbs and business owners can't tend to their gardens themselves, so they enlist landscape workers who know what they're doing. Some plants die in oncoming winter weather, so they need to be moved. Certain flowers need to be planted well before spring in order to bloom on time. And all those crispy leaves aren't going to rake themselves. For people who enjoy working outdoors and have botanical skills many of us lack, landscaping is great work.<br /><br />4. Exterior seasonal decorators<br />Where: Businesses and homes<br /><br />Why: As soon as October arrives, business and homes are adorned with seasonal decorations. In October it's either Halloween skeletons and witches, or rustic autumnal scarecrows and apples. In November, you've got bales of hay (and even inflatable turkeys in extremely festive neighborhoods). Plus, as November ends, many places begin to bring out their winter decorations early. Many people prefer to leave the daredevil tasks of hanging lights on the roof to the professionals.<br /><br />5. Interior seasonal decorator<br />Where: Businesses and homes<br /><br />Why: If you think the explosion of decorations you see from the street is impressive, wait to you walk through the front door. Businesses usually add a little seasonal color, but more often than not, they need to keep it tasteful. Homeowners are under no such obligation, and many of them revel in the chance to transform their normally quaint living room into a terrifying haunted mansion or a charming farmhouse. That's where seasonal decorators come in.<br /><br />Anthony Balderrama is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/abalderrama. </div><br /><div></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a> </div>

5 Fantastic Jobs for Fall

When great poets see green leaves grow brittle and turn colors before they fall to the ground, they see the passage of time, and the slow ma...

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Day 7: A reason to keep going

December 2007 - 240 pounds<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rfAgZcDoopldMJsitZflYyx9sag5IM9O-9GRhErH5e_6F_Z6x5csx5RLuoxZR_82vLY97GIvrbdJ0jRnxs7o-ZxCDY95kqHQ7AI7VeyHVpxnNBMTTJYaBXZ6qaqS8Uw72ttG4hPoqx4n/s1600-h/240.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377685514168518562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rfAgZcDoopldMJsitZflYyx9sag5IM9O-9GRhErH5e_6F_Z6x5csx5RLuoxZR_82vLY97GIvrbdJ0jRnxs7o-ZxCDY95kqHQ7AI7VeyHVpxnNBMTTJYaBXZ6qaqS8Uw72ttG4hPoqx4n/s400/240.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 256px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 239px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORAoUEg2uimdFNEr432HmvpUxqfAUgojRX94Aoko-jRPu_oQZxn7h7ZB0InQ3ICpd6SIXMMcKN1r8cI9NqPm864Qbs01lWKWWnJ8vwYYeRCK9k6P0RZFNYPNk0c0u13s_N7kbaBZ0fxKj/s1600-h/240.jpg"></a>April 2009 - 158 pounds<br /><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKvcItYcfBQbI_JVzOspxZQy5rJur58c8Wo5kvgZNOy5yvdwFaRvLgC3pitXupDRwKqITQ5IOqMnFan8_qX5b6mAOd3YDWelnxj-0mxGzHkWoggRsjbFauABmR6F_dGBjboN80buaLEUB/s1600-h/Diana_head.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377683719051154466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKvcItYcfBQbI_JVzOspxZQy5rJur58c8Wo5kvgZNOy5yvdwFaRvLgC3pitXupDRwKqITQ5IOqMnFan8_qX5b6mAOd3YDWelnxj-0mxGzHkWoggRsjbFauABmR6F_dGBjboN80buaLEUB/s400/Diana_head.jpg" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 170px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 216px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br />My before picture horrifies me. It was taken December, 2007. My after/during picture (I'm still not at goal) is from about four months ago, and I'm about that same weight now.<br /><br />I look at that 240-pound woman and want to cry. She looks so sad. I know the pain she felt, the physical pain and mental anquish of living life at 240 pounds.<br /><br />Some days I really hate my life. I hate my job, my marriage, my very existence. I try to sound upbeat and cheerful and that life is so grand when I write my blog, but some days, I'm really not feeling it. Some days it just sucks to be me.<br /><br />My bad day this week was on Tuesday. I argued with my coworkers, including my best work friend. He wouldn't even walk with me at lunch, nor would he talk to me all day. We've since made up, but it was our first "fight" and it hurt. It also included a fight with my husband when I got home and told him about my work day. It was just like everything in my life was wrong. I ended the day with a "controlled" binge, but still a binge.<br /><br />When I went in to work on Wednesday I had an attitude of "to hell with all of them all". Now keep in mind, I'm the happy-go-lucky girl, never mad at anyone, always apologizing for shit I didn't even do...you know the kind. The fat chick that takes a lot of shit from people because her self-esteem is so incredibly low.<br /><br />Well, turns out that was the old me. Now I'm a force to be reckoned with. I don't take being mistreated lightly. In fact, if I feel I've been wronged, and I certainly did on Tuesday, I'll stand up for myself. On Wednesday I approached both coworkers, separately, and we discussed what happened on Tuesday. I did NOT apologize. Amazingly, they did and it all worked out.<br /><br />What's different now is that I don't go apologizing all over the place. I know I'm a worthy person, that I deserve to be treated like one. Treat me badly and I won't put up with it. I won't grovel for your attention or say I'm sorry when you're being the jerk. By losing almost 80 pounds I feel empowered.<br /><br />There's something about wearing a fatsuit, it was a suit of shame. Like look at me, I suck, I can't even control my eating. Walk all over me because I do it to myself, why shouldn't you too?<br /><br />That picture of me at 240 pounds is a reason to keep going with losing weight. A bad day then would devastate me, a bad day now is still bad, but I can handle it. I deal with it differently now. I don't want to go back and be that poor, tortured soul. I like me better now. I like life better.

Day 7: A reason to keep going

December 2007 - 240 pounds April 2009 - 158 pounds My before picture horrifies me. It was taken December, 2007. My after/during picture (I&#...

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5 Ways to Refresh Your Outdated Network

<a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/bc/ar5f1wd6bz8tbz4lyjbc.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/bc/ar5f1wd6bz8tbz4lyjbc.gif" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><div>When Steven Spenser, 52, was laid off from his Seattle-area software company in 2001, he decided to become a stay-at-home dad. Seven years later, when he started looking for full-time work, he faced a problem: All his old contacts and job references were seven to 12 years old.<br /><br />"Tracking down my previous references proved problematic since many of the companies were Internet startups that have gone out of business," Spenser says. "I've found that two are willing to sing my praises again, but I have no one to direct to them."<br /><br />The process of his network becoming outdated was gradual, he says. Spenser continued to see old colleagues and work friends socially for a few months after his layoff, so he didn't foresee any point at which he would fall out of touch with them. Eventually, his former co-workers stopped calling and he was too busy to notice.<br /><br />"Being a first-time father kept me so preoccupied for a few years that I didn't really bother thinking about the downstream effects of not keeping in touch with anyone," Spenser says.<br /><br />Many people these days are in Spenser's position: After working at the same business or for only a few companies throughout their careers, workers are finding themselves unemployed with an outdated Rolodex and no job references in sight. Though experts recommend networking constantly, many professionals find it difficult to maintain business relationships and keep up with everyday life.<br /><br />"After awhile goes by of being out of touch, the withdrawal takes on a life of its own and it can seem harder to get back into touch than just do nothing and let the status become quo," Spenser says.<br /><br />To avoid running into this problem, the idea obviously is not to let your network get outdated in the first place.<br /><br />"People need to keep their network alive long before they are laid off and in search of a job," says Thom Singer, author of "The ABC's of Networking." "To wait to contact someone until you have a major need, like needing a job, will make you look like a taker: 'Hi, I have found you useless to keep in touch with for five years, but now I am hoping you will drop everything and help me,' just does not fly."<br /><br />So how do you go about finding contacts that have fallen off your radar?<br /><br />Start rebuilding<br />To begin renewing his network, Spenser did Google searches, looked on online White Pages and checked directory assistance. He finally found one former supervisor through his son's company Web site. He was able to track down a former client by finding his new business information online. Both contacts were very willing to help Spenser and serve as a continued reference.<br /><br />Not all people are accepted so openly, however, when trying to refresh cold contacts. If you find yourself needing to contact someone you haven't spoken with in a long time, you should own up that you dropped the ball, Singer says.<br /><br />"Tell people that you never understood why networking mattered and thus had not done a good job of keeping up," Singer suggests. "Admit that this stint of being unemployed and in need of help is humbling and that you've learned a lesson. People are more likely to want to help someone who is honest like that than one who calls up expecting assistance after not ever calling before."<br /><br />If you're looking for ways to update your network, here are some ways to get the process started:<br /><br />1. Make a list<br />Create a list of everyone you know and have known, whether or not you know where they are today, suggests Duncan Mathison, an author, speaker and consultant on companies and professionals impacted by layoffs. Circulate the list to people you have stayed in touch with and they can often fill in the blanks, reintroduce you and even remind you of others who would be worthwhile to connect with.<br /><br />2. Perform a Google search<br />Start by typing in the full name of the person you are searching for, says Melissa Cassera, publicity specialist. Try searching for the full name + the state in which the person lives. If you find a name but no contact information, try typing in the full name + the word "e-mail" or "phone."<br /><br />3. Contact your undergraduate or business school<br />You may score current contact information by responding to requests from your alma mater's alumni association, says Debra Condren, business psychologist, coach, author and founder of AmbitionIsNotADirtyWord.com. Update your own contact information and professional biography and stay visible to your former classmates, she says. "Let folks know what you're up to and they may surprise you with a blast-from-the-past phone call or e-mail, just when you were wondering how to find them."<br /><br />4. Use social networks<br />Look up old colleagues on LinkedIn, Plaxo, Jigsaw, Brightfuse and Facebook, Cassera suggests. Many of these sites have search functions where you can search by company -- even if people have left the organization, there's a good chance they've listed it in their previous work history.<br /><br />5. Fill in the gaps<br />If you are missing links in your network, you must replace or renew them. Revisit your trade organization, attend local networking events and use your current database to get connected to new contacts, says David Hults, author of "From Cornered to Corner Office." If you're laid off, ask people who would be good contacts. Some will surely know the "movers and shakers" in your industry.<br /><br />Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a> </div>

5 Ways to Refresh Your Outdated Network

When Steven Spenser, 52, was laid off from his Seattle-area software company in 2001, he decided to become a stay-at-home dad. Seven years l...

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Why Blogging Is Good For Your Career

<a href="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/9w/ar5d6f67106m2m029q9w.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://emj.icbdr.com/artieimages/9w/ar5d6f67106m2m029q9w.gif" style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><div>Right now, "microblogging" is the technological term du jour. Twitter this; Twitter that. For some reason, once somebody created a Web site that told us we couldn't type more than 140 characters, we couldn't resist the challenge. It's as though we were dared to share our most inane thoughts. The birth of the pointless Tweet was born, also known as "I'm eating string cheese and watching reruns of 'ALF.'"<br /><br />But remember a few years ago, when "blog" was the word you couldn't escape? Magazine covers were devoted to blogs. What does "blog" mean? Is it going to kill traditional media? Who should be blogging? Why do we care what you're blogging?<br /><br />Now, blogs are something more akin to traditional (but still new) media. They're not on par with The New York Times or CNN in terms of reputation, but each of those news agencies has its own blogs. And over the last few years, especially during the election, blogs played a major role in breaking news stories and motivating groups. Corporations now have them to connect with customers. Blogs are here to stay.<br /><br />So the question is: Do you have one? If not, you might be missing out on a valuable boost to your career.<br /><br />Why would you possibly want to blog?<br />In an already crowded blogosphere, why would you want to be just another small fish in a huge pond? Adrienne Waldo thought the same thing before she started her own marketing blog, Ask a Millennial. But once she started to post, she realized people were reading and interested in what she had to say. It helped her freelance career and she believes it can help others, too.<br /><br />"Especially for someone just out of school, a blog is an excellent supplement to a résumé," Waldo says. "It serves as a sort of enhanced writing sample because it allows employers a unique look at your personality in addition to seeing that you can, in fact, write. It also shows that you're tech-savvy and motivated -- both extremely important qualities to have in today's job market."<br /><br />Of course, your blog won't be an asset to you if it lacks direction and attention. Waldo suggests beginning bloggers set goals for themselves.<br /><br />"A blog can be useful for countless reasons, so it's best to decide for yourself what your purpose in starting it is," she recommends. "It's certainly fantastic for both visibility and staying current in today's market, but how you position it is ultimately going to determine how it works for you."<br /><br />A good blog can work for you whether or not you're employed. But a blog written by a job seeker desperately seeking a paycheck will not get you much traction. In fact, blogging is like many other traditional job seeking tools, says Lauren Milligan of ResuMAYDAY, a résumé writing service.<br /><br />"Just like networking, blogging and developing a following should start when you are employed, rather than when you are in panic mode," Milligan cautions.<br /><br />How do you present a blog to employers?<br />New media are proving to be a great tool for job seekers, employees and employers. Facebook, Twitter and blogs are increasingly become common ways to find jobs or recruit candidates. But the rules for social media are still mostly unwritten, and you might not know how to prove you're both technologically proficient and professional. Milligan says you absolutely can do both, it's just all in the presentation.<br /><br />For clients, Milligan often inserts their LinkedIn addresses in the contact section of the résumé. She suggests doing the same with your blog address. Another option she recommends is to include a mention of your blog in your career summary statement. But if neither feels right for you, feel free to bring it up in the interview.<br /><br />"A common interview question is, 'What makes you unique from other candidates?'" Milligan says. "A great -- and unique -- answer would be, 'One thing that may set me apart from your other candidates is my ability to introduce a dedicated and loyal following to your company. For the past eight months, I have authored a blog that has over 2,000 readers on a weekly basis. This blog is dedicated to trends, leaders and advancements in our industry.'"<br /><br />She also recommends pointing out that you have been and will always be respectful of your past employers and that your goal is about making connections. If you can put the emphasis on your growth and how it will benefit the company, while simultaneously proving it's not a place for you to vent about annoying co-workers, you'll make a good impression.<br /><br />"As an employer myself, I assure all job seekers that this would weigh heavily in a candidate's favor," Milligan says.<br /><br />Both Milligan and Waldo stress the importance of knowing your limits. You don't have to be an expert to write a good blog -- and pretending to be one will only turn off readers. Being humble and showing humanity will pay off for you.<br /><br />"Anyone can be a good blogger with the right dedication and motivation," Waldo says. "You absolutely do not have to be an expert, but if you're not, don't pretend to be. That will get you in trouble. I recommend writing about something you love. It doesn't have to be career-related. As long as you are passionate about the subject you cover, that will come through in your writing and people will enjoy your blog."<br /><br />By Anthony Balderrama writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog, The Work Buzz. He researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/abalderrama.<br /></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Search more than 100,000 Jobs by </span></strong><a href="http://jobs.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?SB%3Asbkw=&SB%3As_freeloc=&SB%3Asbfr=30&sbsbmt=Find+Jobs+%C2%BB&lr=cbrockl&cid=US&excrit=QID%3DA3852768340946%3Bst%3DA%3Buse%3DALL%3BCID%3DUS%3BSID%3D%3F%3BTID%3D0%3BENR%3DNO%3BDTP%3DDRNS%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DALL%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BPAYL%3D0%3BPAYH%3DGT120%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BSUP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D1%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3DSID_UNKNOWN%3BSS%3DNO%3BTITL%3D0%3BOB%3D-modifiedint%3BJQT%3DRAD%3BJDV%3DFalse&IPath=ILM"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">CLICKING HERE!</span></strong></a> </div>

Why Blogging Is Good For Your Career

Right now, "microblogging" is the technological term du jour. Twitter this; Twitter that. For some reason, once somebody created a...

Read more »